Note: Thanks to my betas MadRog and t_geyer for their unending patience, perseverance and support.


SECTION 3 - FAMILY TREE

...This is the time and place
To bring out our memories
It’s written on every face
I can see it in you
You can see it in me

In all the years we had
As part of a family tree
We knew the good and bad
I can see it in you
You can see it in me...

...It’s time to leave all that behind
It’s time to lay that ghost to rest
We can’t deny the ties that bind
Tonight we’re going to sing out
Tonight our light will shine

(Gerry Rafferty, Album - Night Owl)




Chapter 3.02
Tuesday, May 14th, 2002

The two vampires headed from the bar back to Angel's convertible and Spike had to laugh despite himself as he heard the collective sigh of relief from the bar's patrons a second after the door swung shut behind them.

"I've missed that," Spike told the older vampire.

"Me too," Angel admitted though he suspected that they missed it for different reasons.

"Come on." Spike's tone showed his scepticism. "It's not like you've ever had to play the fluffy puppy with the demon crowd. Try getting a bit of respect never mind anything else when-" Spike gave up trying to put his life in Sunnydale into words and simply shook his head.

"That's not what I missed. It's. family. Connor's my flesh and blood and still I don't often get a fraction of what I felt in there. Sometimes, it's like he's a stranger. I should have been there when he was growing up. I should know him inside and out."

"Give it time, mate. It's not like you're getting any older, is it? An' he's not goin' anywhere. It'll all sort itself out in the end. There's times when I haven't exactly been the Niblet's favourite person, but we seem to get on okay most of the time."

"That was something else that came out yesterday. Connor said that if you hadn't been there the other night. well, things could have worked out a lot worse," Angel looked like he was trying to find the right words.

"What's with the name game, anyway? I thought the kid was sticking with Stephen," Spike cut-off his grandsire before he could embarrass both of them. "An' if this is going to get all touchy feely maybe we should skip Santa Monica an' just take a bottle back to the hotel. That way we can always get the kid drunk, too. Not that he knew her, but she was his sister. and his grandmother. and his.niece? I mean, that's why vamps aren't meant to have kids, what with all the shaggin' that goes on between all the different generations, it just gets too damn confusin' especially when your great grandma's already your sister. Do you have any idea how much it does your head in when you're your uncle's uncle and his . something else all-" Spike climbed into the convertible as he spoke, watching in amusement as Angel actually opened the driver's door to get in.

"Spike! " Angel cut into the verbal torrent. "I've got a bottle of Bushmills back at the hotel, if that'll do, but you're not getting Connor drunk. He's not old enough to be drinking."

"Jesus, man. To hear you talk in the old days, you were drunk as a skunk every night when you were his age."

"Yeah, and look how I ended up, dead in an alley. So, pick a direction. Back to the hotel or on to the next bar?"

"I'll go with pickin' up the car. That way at least slayer can pack her stuff while we tie a few on. What're you goin' to do with her?"

Somehow even though the change of topic seemed totally random Angel knew exactly what his grandchilde meant. "Dru? I thought you'd want to."

"Hell, no, mate. Hardly the way to start a bloody marriage, is it? 'Sides she made her choice an' thank God I came second, 'cause otherwise I might never have ended up where I am now." Spike looked over to where Angel seemed to be concentrating on the traffic before continuing.

"I reckon you probably couldn't do much better than scatter them in that garden you've got back at your place. That way she's near you an' she always did like growin' things. Maybe Texas'd even plant her a few daisies, if you asked her nice. An' it's not like the cheerleader's got as much to- I mean they all think you're a different person, right? So there's no history between Angel and her for her to be jealous of. When she gets back. Where is she, anyway? Her and her Angel doll. I kinda thought with everything that's been happenin' they might have made an appearance even if it was her day off."

"Spike . Can you shut up for five seconds?" Angel again cut off Spike in midstream before his tone softened. "Cordy went missing just after your last visit. Wes seems to think she's in another dimension. I guess that was one of the things Buffy didn't get a chance to tell you."

"Didn't really have time for much other than gettin' cleaned up and grabbin' a couple of hours kip." Spike shrugged. "Buffy gets nightmares sleepin' on her own since they brought her back and I wasn't exactly up for runnin' a marathon so. no big surprise we crashed out before we had a chance to chat."

Spike found himself watching the brunette, considering what he was about to say next and knowing that their relationship stood at a crossroads. They could walk away after tonight and blame it on the liquor and on losing Dru, or they could take a chance and go beyond what they had been to each other before. "Look, if we can help, we will. Right now, we've got to go home an' look after Bit, an' it's not like you can-. I mean, it's not like Buffy can just leave the Hellmouth to look after itself, but if there's any research the Scoobies can do or if it comes to mounting a rescue party or something."

"You don't have to. I mean you don't owe-."

"For Chrissake, when was the last time you saw me do anything for any reason other than I wanted to? Just pick up the bloody phone when the time comes, or let us know if she happens to come waddlin' back on her own two feet."

"Cordy doesn't waddle," Angel insisted.

"Alright, when she comes wanderin' back. Better? Take a right here." The blond gestured at a turn no human would have been able to make, even with vampire reflexes Angel just managed to pull the wheel round in time and had to listen to the car horn of the irate driver behind him for his trouble.

"Do you think we could have a bit more notice next time?" he asked the unrepentant blond who had turned in his seat to give a two-fingered salute to the driver before their paths parted.

"Whatever. Two blocks down, on the right opposite the diner."

The rest of the drive was completed in silence, but when Angel pulled up alongside the DeSoto Spike seemed loath to get out.

"Go on. Whatever it is, it'll keep till we get back to the hotel."

The blond shook his head, his tousled curls glinting in the moonlight. "It's best if there's no chance of Buffy walking in.

Look, Buffy wanted to be the one to tell you 'cause she thinks I'd cock it up, but I'd rather save her from havin' to do it. You see there's a bit of a problem about askin' you to the weddin'." He took a deep breath watching the other man's impassive features as he clarified their position. "It's not that either of us don't want you there, but Buffy's kinda worried about the watcher. Bit pointed out that. well, it's all to do with that teacher. She's kinda worried seein' you might stir up old memories and take the shine off the old watcher's day, but she doesn't want to just straight out ask him if it's okay you bein' there, 'cause then she's stirrin' it all up herself.

Bit kinda got it into her head that Rupert's just settlin' for second best with the lass he's with now. That the gypsy was the one. Says he's never been that happy since.

Anyway, I reckon Rupert'll probably show up at least a couple of weeks before the weddin' an' maybe we can sort somethin' out. But if not, the old git's more like her dad than that other old git, an' I think if he wasn't happy then she couldn't be either. An' God only knows she deserves to have that one day. So, d'you think you can be patient on this one till we check the lie of the land with old Rupes?"

"Did you think I was going to just turn up without an invite? I don't want her upset any more than you do." Angel brushed away Spike's concerns.

"No, I guess I just wanted to make sure you knew the position. She still cares about you. An' that means she doesn't want your feelin's hurt. It also means, given the choice, she'd like you to be there."

"And what about you? Given the choice?"

"Up until today, I'd have wanted you there for her. Now?" Spike shrugged and left it at that. "Well, now that little secret's out, I suppose we'd best head back to yours." He jumped out of the car, pulling out the keys for the DeSoto as Angel pulled up to the parking lot entrance and waited for him to follow.

 

---

 

Angel scooped up the tin that Fred had left on top of the reception desk. "Roof?" he asked Spike.

"Roof," Spike agreed, his gaze drawn to where Buffy and most of the others from Sunnydale seemed to be waiting.

"I'll just stick my head in on Connor and I'll meet you up there once you finish." Angel headed for the stairs leaving Spike to talk to Buffy.

"Roof?" she asked as she walked over and took both his hands ever so loosely in hers. Her head tilted back slightly to look up into his face and it seemed only natural for their lips to meet.

"Dru. Figured to scatter her over the garden."

"That's. It seems like a nice place."

"She would have liked it."

"So is this more of the male bonding thing or is this a come with you and be around to hold your hand thing?" Spike smiled at her consideration.

"That depends."

"On?" Buffy raised an eyebrow just slightly as she asked.

"How much whisky you want me to have drunk by the time I get back down," Spike answered with a wry smile.

"I guess in that case." she replied, first dropping his right hand and moving to stand next to him and then slipping her right arm around his waist under his coat before she steered them both toward the lift. Spike was surprised to see the rest of the Sunnydale contingent move to join them as they waited for the car to arrive.

When Lily came up to him and placed a kiss on his cheek before giving him a brief hug Spike could feel a prickle behind his eyelids. When the two witches stepped up as the older demon stepped back each slipping an arm around him at the same time not even his injuries would let him do anything to end the moment.

"We're glad to have you back, Scooby," Tara whispered before her lips brushed his cheek.

A subdued Willow added her piece. "I know it sounds kinda trite but we are sorry for your loss."

Clem simply did that diagonal sort of hug that men do with a muttered, "Sorry, man," and a couple of pats on his back. Lori gripped his hand for a second giving it a gentle squeeze before moving off. As the last of them stepped back, the lift doors opened and the entire group moved in.

Buffy watched him as she felt the wonder that flooded his being when he realised that every person in that lift intended to be there for him, to offer his or her support. She shifted closer in against his side until she could link her arms around his waist. She stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "Don't look at me. There's only two that come with the Buffy package. The rest you collected all on your own."

Angel and Connor both emerged from the teenager's room as the group were piling out of the lift on the top floor. Angel still carried the tin while Connor now held a bottle of whisky. "So which way to the roof?" Spike asked. Angel gestured towards the stairwell at the end of one of the corridors.

The procession wound its way through the emergency fire exit onto the roof and round the C-shape of the rooftop until the wind was at their backs as they looked down on the garden. By some sort of silent consensus the rest of the group formed a semicircle around the two vampires.

Angel took the lid off the tin and spoke the first words as he released handfuls of ashes into the soft breeze. "May she know peace." A world of regret tinged his voice.

He passed the tin to Spike, only a little over half full now. "In a windowless room, she could see the stars. In a broken man, she saw a knight." Spike scattered a couple of handfuls in the breeze, but when he moved to tip the last of the ashes from the tin a small hand stayed his arm.

Buffy took the tin from him, saying her own words before she let the last of the ashes stream into the breeze that would carry them down to the garden below. "She gave me my most precious gift, and for that, I will always be grateful." When she finished, she sat the empty tin down on the roof and hooked her arm through Spike's.

Connor took the stopper from the bottle and let it drop onto the roof. "Dru." He tipped the bottle back as little as possible, taking a small gulp that still brought tears to his eyes.

He passed the bottle to the person next to him, which happened to be Lily. The petite demon raised the bottle and toasted Spike's sire before swallowing a couple of mouthfuls. The bottle passed it's way round the semi-circle, from Lily to Clem, Clem to Lori, Lori to Tara, Tara to Willow before it finally reached the three who stood in the middle. Buffy gave the top of the bottle a quick wipe with her sleeve before taking a tiny swig. "Dru," she managed to get out even as her "liquor face" took over, causing crows' feet to bloom at the corner of Spike's eyes as he took the bottle from her. The blond held the bottle up, appraising how much was left as he made his toast, chugging down a good few mouthfuls before he passed the bottle to Angel with almost exactly half as much in it as it had contained when Buffy passed it to him.

"Dru." Angel drained the bottle and let it drop to the ground. Once again Spike found himself being hugged from all directions before the group began to wander off. Spike, Buffy and Angel were the last to leave. The empty tin and the bottle lying on the roof would be the vampiress's only monuments, at least until Angel got Fred to plant some daisies.